Monday, April 14, 2008

Gobsmacker Of The Month

"A WOMAN who claimed a bad back made it impossible for her work was employed at the SAME Government department that paid out her benefits.

Twenty-four-year-old Joanne Kirman fraudulently obtained over £9,000 whilst employed at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Magistrates at Blackpool, Lancashire heard the DWP handed over £9,474 to Kirman between April 2005 and January last year in incapacity benefit and income support. She got the money after stating she was incapable of work but all the time she was sitting behind one of their desks taking call. The court heard it was a £15,000 a year job which Kirman obtained through a disability advisor at the Department of Work and Pensions. Steven Townley , defending, said: “She got the job at the DWP through an advisor at the DWP but maintains she had no idea how the benefits system worked.”

What can you possibly say?

Not only has DWP allowed itself to be conned. Again.

Not only was it their right hand not talking to their left hand. Again.

But the absolute smackeur du gob, it was theythemselves employing her. And not just at some forgotten out-station either: Blackpool is DWP's national helpline centre.

As for her excuse that she had "no idea" how the benefits system works, we're inclined to believe her. Such is the quagmire of Brown's benefits system, most of her ex-colleagues are probably in exactly the same position.

BOM the book now available

Drawing on six years of blogging government waste, this book shows how we spend far more than we need on our public services. It sets out the facts and explores the underlying issues. Just why does government spend so much and deliver such second rate service? Why do we put up with it? And what are the alternatives?

ABOUT BOM

Despite all the talk of cuts, government still consumes nearly half our national income. Yet many tens of billions of its spending is wasted, with taxpayers made to pick up the tab for a depressing array of overpriced sub-standard services. This is money we can no longer afford, and our National Debt is already at danger level.

If we're to avoid further decades of stagnation and austerity we urgently need to find another way. Exposing and understanding the wastefulness of government is a necessary step in the right direction.